USA
July 18, 2003 VNN8230
LA Math Devotee In Critical Condition
FROM BVNMBILLBOARD
USA, Jul 18 (VNN) — Dear Maharaja's, Prabhu's, and Didi's, please accept my dandavata pranams. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
I do not know who is yet aware of this and who is not, so I took it upon myself to be sure you all knew, thinking that the appropriate action. Please forgive me if this is somehow inappropriate.
Niscintya Prabhu from Los Angeles just relayed the following news to me by phone. I hope to get this as accurate as possible; please forgive any errors or omissions.
This afternoon the devotees from Radha Govinda Gaudiya Math in Los Angeles were on harinama sankirtan at the Farmers Market. One lady in the market complained to them that people didn't like them there. Jagamohan Prabhu knows very well that, other than her, everyone is very welcoming, but he decided to move on for a while anyway. Three devotees stayed at the market to distribute transcendental literature and share Harikatha. The party was a few blocks away when someone from the farmers market came running up and insisted they return immediately, that they are really needed, there's been a catastrophe. They returned to the scene which is described in the news article below.
One of those mentioned in the article as critically injured is one of our very own and very dear devotees from the Math, Abiram Prabhu. One of the other devotees who stayed at the market, our very dear brand new Bhakta Dan, is MIA. Devotees are hopeful that Bhakta Dan, an X-Marine, is fine but busy helping out, although we don't know. Devotees are at the hospital, I'm sorry I don't know which one. More details of Abiram's condition and Bhakta Dan's whereabouts are sought but not yet available.
Please pray to Sri Sri Radha Govinda for Their blessings upon those souls who departed this world in this catastrophe, and for the safety and recovery of all those who were injured or missing, especially our Abiram Prabhu and Bhakta Dan.
This story is all over the news. The story below is from CNN.
Car plows through market, killing 8
Wednesday, July 16, 2003 Posted: 9:46 PM EDT (0146 GMT) The bodies of two victims lay covered on the street after a car plowed through a crowded farmers market.
VICTIM INFORMATION
Those seeking information about victims in the Santa Monica Farmers Market accident may call the Santa Monica Police Department Hotline 310-458-8491.
SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) -- An 86-year-old man who drove his mid-size Buick through a crowded farmers market Wednesday told police he couldn't stop and may have hit the accelerator instead of the brake, Santa Monica Police Chief James T. Butts Jr. said.
Eight people were killed, including a 3-year-old girl, authorities said. The more than 55 hurt include 15 people with critical injuries, they said. Two of those critically injured are under the age of 2.
"He said that he tried to brake and he couldn't stop the vehicle," Butts said.
Police escorted the man to a local hospital where he was found to have no alcohol or psychiatric medications in his system.
Later, he walked out of the police station with the help of a cane and with his attorney by his side. Police released him from custody after he was interviewed by detectives. Charges could be filed at a later time, Butts said, noting that the man is a resident of Santa Monica and does not appear to be a flight risk.
"Right now it looks as though there may be some negligence as far as his capacity to drive safely," Butts said. There was no indication that the man intended to injure any pedestrians.
Butts said the man drove his 1992 mid-size Buick LeSabre "at least at a moderate rate of speed" for three blocks along the market street, which was filled with pedestrians, "striking dozens of people." The car stopped only after a pedestrian was thrown into the air and landed on the windshield of the vehicle, Butts said.
The accident occurred at 1:47 p.m. (4:47 p.m. EDT), Butts said.
Butts said officers have interviewed more than 100 witnesses who give conflicting reports regarding the driver's demeanor at the time of the incident.
"So now we're attempting to determine whether this was a straight accident -- medically related -- criminal negligence or criminal homicide," Butts said.
One witness said, "He was not only speeding, he was accelerating."
Joe Chrisman works in a building along the street where the market is held. He witnessed the accident and said the driver appeared befuddled.
"He looked very, very confused," Chrisman said. "I think he was just mentally out of touch. He seemed very confused when he stepped out of the car. He definitely shouldn't have been behind the wheel. He was definitely not quite with it."
Chrisman said there was a woman underneath the man's car, and after a bicycle policeman apprehended the driver, a group of about 10 people together lifted the car off of the victim, who was still breathing.
Video shot by local news station helicopters showed several people being treated by emergency personnel on top of red sheets in the street. Ambulances and police cars crowded the area, and a damaged red car sat among debris.
'Single most horrific, devastating scene of tragedy' As police roped off the crime scene, a child's blue stroller sat empty in the street amid bodies covered with yellow tarps.
"This is the single most horrific, devastating scene of tragedy I've ever witnessed in 30 years of law enforcement," Butts said. He added that the sight of the dead child "just broke my heart."
Chrisman said he ran outside to help after the accident.
There was "so much carnage," he said.
Four of the injured were taken to St. John's Health Center, where a spokeswoman said one person was in critical condition, two were moderately injured and one had a minor injury.
UCLA Medical Center received 13 patients: six in critical condition - - including two children under the age of 2; two patients who were still being evaluated; and five people who have been treated and released.
Hospital sources said the injuries range from broken bones to head injuries to possible injuries to internal organs.
A spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Policed Department said the Wednesday market is usually extremely busy, with three city blocks devoted to the market stalls and closed to all but pedestrian traffic.
According to the city's Web site, 9,000 people visit the market each week.
Portions © CNN
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